Welcome to Untangle, the podcast from Five Star App Meditation Studio and Muse, the personal

meditation assistant that helps you learn to meditate. I'm Patricia Carpice, co-founder of

meditation studio and your host on Untangle. Join us each week as we introduce you to authors, experts, and thought leaders

who share their stories on how meditation and mindfulness practices have the power to change

our lives. To get started meditating on your own, you can download the Meditation Studio app in

the app store, where you'll get over 500 original and exclusive meditations

by leading experts on everything from sleep, stress, and anxiety to happiness, leadership,

relationships, and much, much more.

It's like having a little inspirational coach in your pocket when you're facing any challenge.

Any comments? Reach out to us at Untangle at Meditation Studio app.com. Today's guest is UCLA neuroscientist Alex Corb. Alex wrote the book,

The Upward Spiral, using neuroscience to reverse the course of depression one small change at a time.

Alex explains what happens in the brain when it gets stuck and heads into a downward spiral of

depression. He shares that our genes and early childhood experiences create the potential for our neural circuits to develop in a certain way,

but they are not our destiny.

Our current circumstances, how we think, act, and feel can further influence the different circuits of the brain.

He demystifies what's going on in the different regions of the brain

that cause our downward spiral. And he offers dozens of things we can do every day to rewire

the brain to feel happier and healthier. He teaches us that there isn't just one solution to

depression, but rather many things we can do to have an impact on mood.

Small steps in the right direction can have a profound impact.

Now, here's Alex.

Alex, it is so great to have you on Untangle today.

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